Commelina

Family. Commelinaceae.

Origin. East Asia.

Description. Commelinas are perennial herbaceous plants with lodging stems. When in contact with the ground, stems often take root at leaf nodes. Leaves are sessile or on very small petioles, alternate, green, covered with thin, soft hairs, oblong-lanceolate or lance-shaped, 5 - 9 cm long. Flowers are solitary, or in small inflorescences of 2 - 3 flowers, each with a diameter of 1.5 - 3 see, blue, yellow, white, purple, pink, bright blue. The flowers have a very interesting structure - they consist of 2 - 3 rounded petals, with long, spectacular yellow stamens. There are variegated forms of the plant. Each flower remains open for 1 day.

Height. Up to 60 cm.

Temperature conditions

Can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. When grown in warm conditions, it develops faster; when kept in cool conditions, growth slows down. Can be kept at normal room temperature all year round.

Lighting

Needs a lot of light; when grown in partial shade, the variegated color of the leaves disappears. Do not expose the plant to direct sunlight - during the daytime it can leave burns on the leaves.

Care

Remove fading flowers.

Substrate

Well-drained soil, a mixture of 2 parts peat and 1 part perlite or coarse river sand is suitable. 

Feeding

Feed commelina regularly during the growing season - 2 times a month with liquid fertilizers at half concentration.

Purpose

Often used as a ground cover plant.

Flowering time

May - October.

Air humidity

It tolerates the dryness of heated rooms well, but sometimes the leaves become wrinkled or their tips turn brown - in this case it is necessary to increase the air humidity. 

Soil moisture

Water deeply and often enough during the warmer months to keep the soil moist most of the time. Reduce the frequency of watering in winter, as the plant will slow down its development and the colder air temperatures will slow the evaporation of moisture from the soil surface.

Transfer

The transplant is carried out in the spring, when the roots have filled the entire pot.

Reproduction

Propagation is very easy. Most often, stem cuttings about 8 cm long are rooted. Remove the lower leaves from the cuttings and root in a damp mixture of peat and sand or in a simple glass of water. The root system is formed within 3 - 4 weeks. Seeds. Stems often root on their own when in contact with the ground. Dividing large adult plants.

Pests and diseases

If there is not enough light, the stems will be elongated and the leaves will be faded. Variegated leaves will turn green and lose color with too much light and too much fertilizer. The plant may rot if overwatered.

Pests sometimes include aphids and spider mites. When grown in open ground, plants can be attacked by various caterpillars, snails and slugs.